1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an electrostatic-image-developing toner, an electrostatic image developer, a process for producing an electrostatic-image-developing toner, an image-forming method, and an image-forming apparatus.
2. Related Art
Methods of visualizing image information via electrostatic latent images in the electrophotographic and other methods have been widely used in various applications. In these methods, the electrostatic latent image on the surface of a photoreceptor for electrophotography (latent image bearing body, hereinafter being referred to as “photoreceptor” in some cases) is visualized by developing the latent image with an electrostatic latent image developing toner (hereinafter also referred to merely as “toner”) via a charging step, an exposing step, etc. and, further, via a transfer step, a fixing step, etc.
As a process for producing such toners, there are known a kneading-pulverizing process and an emulsion-polymerizing-aggregating process. The former kneading-pulverizing process provides toner particles having a comparatively broad particle size distribution and an irregular form, and hence the process fails to provide sufficient performance-maintaining properties.
On the other hand, the emulsion-polymerizing-aggregating process is a process wherein aggregated particles having a particle size diameter corresponding to that of toner particles are formed and then heated to fuse them to form toner particles. Further, the particle structure can be controlled more accurately by conducting free control in the toner particles from the inside layer toward the surface layer thereof.